The poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for 5 percent of global income, and the richest, 20 percent accounts for three-quarters of the world’s income (Shah). Lack of education has caused people to settle for low paying jobs, or in most cases, unemployment. Part of the reason why students lack interest in school is because of the environment. Some students
Unlike cultural deprivation theorists, who blame educational failure on the inadequacy of working class subculture, many other sociologists see material deprivation as the main cause of under achievement. Poverty is closely linked to educational under-achievement for example · In 2006 only 33% of children receiving free school meals gained five or more GCSE’s at A*-C, as against 61% of pupils not receiving free school meals. · According to Jan Flaherty (2004), money problems in the family were a significant factor in younger children’s non-attendance at school. · Exclusion and truancy are more likely for children from poorer families, children excluded from school are unlikely to return to mainstream education, while a third of all persistent truants leave school with no qualifications. · Nearly 90% of ‘failing’ schools are located in deprived areas.
Lower-income children are not always given the same opportunity to receive a high quality education. When impoverished children are subjected to an education where there is a 35 to 1 student-teacher ratio and limited amount of class materials and resources such as books, they are sent a message that no one values them or their education, causing many students to lose their passion for education. The impoverished are also viewed as individuals who cannot handle their finances and save for a rainy day. Many like to believe that the impoverished do not know the value of a dollar, and only splurge on frivolous things. The reality is that lower-income families barley makes enough to cover their bills.
fWhy should we care about child poverty in the UK? Despite the United Kingdom being one of the richest nations in the world, it also has one of the highest rates of child poverty. Research shows in 2010/11 about 13 million people in the UK were living in poverty after housing costs and 3.6million of them children (Randeep Ramesh, 14/06/12). Of the children, 1.6million of these were living in severe poverty (Barnardos, 2012). These numbers are unacceptable for a first world, developed and wealthy country; but with rising living costs and the government making cut backs, these figures are set to rise further (Sinead O’Shea, 19/01/13).
Introduction Before Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, about 39,000 children under age 6 lived in New Orleans. Of these, some 17,000 (more than 4 in 10) lived below the federal poverty level. Nationally, the average is 2 in 10, though in Louisiana—a poor state—it is 3 in 10. As in the nation as a whole, New Orleans’ youngest children are more likely to be poor than all children and adults. In New Orleans, poverty among young children was high, partly because many parents were out of work or in low-wage jobs; also, a high percentage of families were headed by a single parent.
According to the article “The condition of poverty, however, may be the most important of all student differences in relation to high achievement.” (Burney 2008) It also states that the length of time the family has been living in poverty and the level of poverty they lived in, influences achievement preparation and performance in children under the age of five. (Burney 2008) Poverty affects all aspects of a child’s education and development. Students that attend schools in low income neighborhoods have “limited access to programs outside of school that provide lessons and enrichment opportunities that add to student competence in a learning environment, confidence in ability to learn new things, social interaction skills, and background information that may transfer to an academic setting.” (Burney 2008) Schools with higher levels of low income student population are less likely to offer the curricula and placement courses that are viewed as “needed” for success in higher education. “They also are less likely to have experienced and qualified teachers.” (Burney
For example, Douglas found that working-class parents placed less value on education, were less ambitious for their children, gave them less encouragement, and took less interest in their education. They visited schools less often and were less likely to discuss their children’s progress with teachers, and as a result, their children had lower levels of achievement. Leon Feinstein (1998) also took this view, and argued that working class parents’ lack of interest was the more important than financial hardship or factors within school. However, critical of this, Tessa Blackstone and Jo Mortimore (1994) argue that working class parents attend fewer parents’ evenings because they working longer or less regular hours, or are put off by the school’s middle class atmosphere – NOT because of a lack of interest. There is also evidence that schools with mainly working class pupils have less effective systems of parent-school contacts, making it harder for parents to keep in touch about their children’s progress.
Generational poverty usually passes on the lack of motivation, money and education from one generation to the other. Children affect by poverty usually don’t receive quality education as well as healthcare. There are many families solely but incorrectly depended on welfare for their source of income. We can think of several ways to break this cycle. One way is to get something to do for income.
Shared beliefs, values and norms for behavior that are deeply entrenched in the culture poor people living in ghettos and poor surroundings reflect the culture of poverty (sub-culture) of these people. This culture of poverty tends to be perpetuated within the society so that the situation is generally accepted as norm and way of life. For instance, children born in poverty-stricken community may absorb the attitudes and values of the subculture in which they are born. This way, they tend to demonstrate the tendency to be poor based on the culture (of poverty) inculcated (Jordan,
Poverty is an important issue to take notice of. Many people in the United States fall within the life status of living in poverty. Just as adults are affected by poverty so are the youth. Since the youth is the future of the country they call America, it’s critical that the children do not grow up in a horrific environment. Poverty could be simply defined as being economically poor but many researchers like to refer to it as the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions.